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Life can sometimes feel like a frustrating and unfair video game—one where the rules are unclear, the challenges seem insurmountable, and the rewards are fleeting. In many ways, life and video games have some interesting parallels. However, when life resembles a poorly designed game, it can feel arbitrary, tiring, and even pointless. This comparison can help explain why life might feel unrewarding or as if we’re struggling just to keep up.

In a well-designed video game, the player understands the goals and rules. There are clear objectives, like rescuing a character or defeating a boss, which give players a sense of direction and purpose. But in life, it often feels as if the objectives are vague and ever-changing. We’re told to pursue success, happiness, and fulfillment, but there’s no map or instruction manual that tells us exactly how to achieve these things. Instead, we have to navigate the complexities of life without a guide, making choices that might or might not lead to our desired outcomes. This can feel a lot like being dropped into a poorly-made game without any clear mission, only to fumble around and hope for the best.

In a „crappy“ game, players might start at wildly different points in terms of resources, abilities, or advantages. Some might begin with a full arsenal, while others have little more than a stick to defend themselves. Life mirrors this reality, as we’re born into vastly different circumstances. Some people are born into wealth, supportive families, and access to quality education, while others face poverty, neglect, and limited opportunities from the start. Life’s „character creation screen“ isn’t fair, and just like a frustrating game, it can feel like some people are handed the tools for success while others have to struggle just to survive.

In games, there are often obstacles—puzzles, enemies, or challenges—that players must overcome to progress. Good games are carefully designed so that these obstacles are fair and achievable, with a sense of progression that makes overcoming them feel rewarding. In life, however, obstacles often feel random and disproportionate. We may face health problems, financial troubles, or the loss of loved ones without any warning, and unlike in a game, there’s no „difficulty setting“ to adjust. We don’t get to reload from a previous save point or start over with new lives. Life’s challenges can feel relentless and overwhelming, making it seem like the game is rigged against us.

In most games, players receive rewards for their efforts—points, power-ups, new levels, or other perks. In life, rewards can be just as elusive as they are in a frustrating game. We’re often told that hard work will bring success, yet many people put in immense effort without ever receiving the rewards they expect. Promotions may be given to less-deserving people, relationships may fail despite our best efforts, and personal achievements may go unnoticed or unappreciated. Like a game that promises a rare item only to give us something useless, life’s rewards can feel hollow, and it can be disheartening to put in effort only to receive little in return.

A hallmark of a poorly-designed video game is repetitive grinding—performing the same tedious tasks over and over to gain minimal rewards. Life can sometimes feel the same way. Many people spend years in monotonous routines, such as going to work, paying bills, and taking care of daily responsibilities, with little sense of personal growth or satisfaction. This grind can feel like a never-ending cycle, much like a game where every day involves the same uninspired tasks with no real progress. The „grind“ of life can wear us down, leaving us to question whether the effort is worth it.

In a game, there’s usually an end goal that provides a sense of closure and achievement. But in life, the end isn’t something most people look forward to—it’s something we’re taught to fear or avoid. The ultimate conclusion is death, and there’s no „winning“ in the conventional sense. Life doesn’t provide a clear end game where you can reflect on your achievements with satisfaction. Instead, many people struggle to find meaning, and even the most successful people can feel unfulfilled or unsure of what they’ve achieved in the grand scheme of things.

In poorly-designed games, players sometimes feel that their actions don’t actually influence the outcome. Life can feel similar, with so many aspects determined by randomness—accidents, illness, genetics, and more. Despite our best efforts, there’s a lot we can’t control, and this can make life feel like a game of chance rather than a series of deliberate actions. We’re often left wondering if anything we do really matters, or if we’re simply going through the motions in a system beyond our control.

Life can feel like playing a frustrating, unfair, and confusing video game, one where the rules are murky, the rewards are few, and the challenges seem stacked against us. Just like a poorly-made game, it can leave us feeling dissatisfied, wondering why we even bothered to play in the first place. However, unlike a video game, we don’t get the option to quit or start over. We’re here, playing the game whether we want to or not. But sometimes, finding small moments of joy, purpose, or connection can help make the experience more bearable. Even in the most difficult of circumstances, there can be unexpected moments of meaning that make the game worth playing, if only for a little longer.